Platinum: The Soul of a Dragon
by cuda411
Summary: The story of Vincent Vinder, an unlikely mage with the abnormal ability to cast spells without the use of a wand. As he struggles to discover who he is, he finds out far more than he bargained for about himself, his lost father, his familiar and the future of the entire world. Time is of the essence as we delve into Vincent's past to uncover who he is and how he got to where he is.
1. Prologue

**This fanfiction is heavily inspired by Pathfinder's Rise of the Runelords adventure path, spellcasting, sorcerous bloodlines, and lore. I do not own any of the intellectual property in this novel.**

A cold chill runs down my spine as I wander through the courtyards, the night dark as a raven's feather and as cold as a midnight in winter should be expected to be. The snow crunches beneath my feet, the snowflakes lighting up like falling stars as they pass by the various torches that light the yard.

"Mr. Vinder?" I hear a soft voice call from behind me. I half jump and spin around to see the face of Christina. Her body is covered in a thick blanket and her face carries a worried expression.

"Christina. Shouldn't you be in bed?" I smile and step towards her, hand outstretched, "Come on. Let me take you back to your room."

"I can't sleep." She whispers as I take her ice-cold hand

"Your hand is frozen! How are you this cold?" I glance down at her feet to see that they are bare and set deeply into the snow. "We need to get you inside!"

She nods, her lips quivering as she did. I sigh slightly as I reach out with my other hand, tucking it behind Christina's legs and lifting her into the air. She let out a slight yelp as I carry her into the hall, her face glowing bright red.

"What the hell were you thinking, going outside in the middle of winter without any shoes on?" I mutter as I carry her back into the main hall

"I…" She pulls her blanket higher to cover her face, which grows more and more crimson while we continue through the hall

"Well?" I raise a single eyebrow, awaiting her response

"I heard you go outside, so I…" She whispers from under the covers. I simply sigh and continue up the stairs into the fire mages' dormitory

"So you followed me outside in the dead of winter with only a blanket to keep yourself warm."

All the young girl could do was nod under the blanket. I simply smile and set her to stand in front of her door. She fishes her key from an unknown place under her blanket and presses it into the door, twisting it open and stepping in.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Vinder."

"Just get yourself warmed up, Christina. I don't want you catching pneumonia." I smile and wave to her as I turn to walk away "And I've told you before, call me Vincent."

She nods slightly, moving to close the door.

"Good night, Vincent."

"Good night, Christina." I smile back and turn to walk down the hall back to my room, but I'm halted by Christina's small, ice-cold hand grasping mine.

"Promise me that you'll come back…" She whispers as her grip tightens. I sigh softly, stepping back towards the young first-year student and kneeling down to look her in the eyes.

"I promise." I whisper back as I plant my shoulder firmly on her shoulder. Her face immediately lit up in joy. Within seconds I find myself embraced by the girl, her soft laughter synonymous with a beautiful musical piece. I hold her only for a few moments before releasing her, and, in my best "stern father" voice, "Now get to bed, young lady! You have classes tomorrow."

Christina smiles and nods, her ear-to-ear grin being the last thing I see before the door is closed and I am left in the dimly lit halls of the fire mages' dormitory.

_Lying to a little girl… What the hell am I doing? _I think as I start back to my room.

I push my dorm door open and slide it closed behind me. I sigh softly as I pull my boots off and set them next to the door, snap my fingers to light the nearby lamp, then proceed to get ready for bed.

After a few moments, my conjured spark lights the wick and I notice the glint of light shine off the mirror near the foot of my bed. I glance up to see the shining brass scales that covered the upper portion of my arms, shoulders, back, and even back of the neck. My golden eyes reflect just as brightly as I turn to face the mirror.

_What have I become? _I think as my eyes begin to well as I clench my fists. I sigh once more as I reach out to grasp the lamp, lifting the glass shield and blowing out the light. I slowly make my way into the bed, tears now streaking down my face and muffled sobs filling the room.

"Vince?" I hear the light, soft voice come from the bed. I look up with my blurred vision to see only a blob sit up in the bed, its blonde hair lit up only by the moonlight.

"Hey, Tiffa." I whisper between the sobs. All I feel is my lover's touch graze over my shoulder, around to my back and her warm embrace engulf me. I can't hold it in anymore as my sobs become cries of agony and pain, my once trickle of tears becoming a torrent of emotion. I feel Tiffania's hand stroke my scaled back as she presses her face into the nape of my neck.

"I'm sorry." I stutter. She simply shakes her head and holds me through the pain.

"Do you remember what you told me when we first met, Vince?"

I choke back the tears only long enough to remember how we'd met. It was two long years ago, what feels like an eternity, on a night much like this.

"We are all born under the same sun… We all look at the same stars; we all share the same world… We are all buried in the same earth when we die… We're all the same, and no one should be afraid to… to…" I cry out, unable to finish the thought.

"And no one should be afraid to show who they truly are." She whispers in my ear as she pushes away from me, looking me in the eye as she says, "I love you, Vincent Vinder. No matter what happens, you need to know that nothing will ever change that."

"How can you love a half-blooded monster like me?" I sob as she pulls back closer to me

"You are not a monster. You will never be a monster."

"How do you know?"

"Monsters don't have people who love them the way that I love you." The sobbing begins once more as Tiffania holds me close, whispering only one last thing in my ear: "You aren't the dragon, Vince. You're my Ivaldi."

Time seems to stand still as I cry into my lover's arms, my soul feeling as though it is tearing itself apart. My heart throbbing, my stomach churning, and my head pounding; I feel my eyes turning red as I cry through most of the night until I finally catch my breath, only to hear Tiffania whisper:

"Tell me the story of how we met."

I lift my head to see her beautiful blue eyes watching me, her pointed ears wiggling as she smiles.

"Why?" I smile back, wiping the tears from my face.

"In times like these we need to think about happier times. Tell me about how we met: Our first meeting, how we fell in love, and our first kiss. I want to hear everything from the beginning."

I sigh softly, realizing there was no arguing with her when she is this determined. I slowly sit up, my abs and shoulders slightly aching from the hours of sobbing. I pull my pillow from the mattress and place it on the headboard, using it as a cushion as I begin my story:

"It was about two years ago, near the middle of fall. My mentor, Daviren, insisted that I go to an academy to learn how to control my "gifts." I left early in the morning from my hometown of Sandpoint due north in a carriage bound for the Tristain Academy of Magic… "


	2. Chapter 1

My foot nervously tapped the floor as I sat in the hallway outside the headmaster's office. A four-day carriage ride, a sleepless night in an unknown room, and the sounds of explosions first thing in the morning are rarely ever a good combination. I reached up and rubbed my sleepy, bloodshot eyes in an attempt to clean out any mucus that had built up in the corners of my eye as well as keep myself from falling asleep in the chair.

"Mr. Vinder?" A soft voice called my name from the doorway. I quickly leapt to my feet and bent at the hip, my arms firmly planted to my sides. After a couple of moments, I glanced up to see a young woman, her face bright red with embarrassment. "The headmaster will see you now."

She was quite beautiful: Short silky black hair with matching dark eyes, and wearing a humble maid's outfit.

"Thank you, ma'am." I stood upright and proceeded past her into the headmaster's office. The office was very open, stone brick walls covered in books and shelves with a large red carpet covering the floor. At the far end of the room, lit up by the sunlight streaming in from a single massive window, was a large oak desk with an elderly man sitting behind it.

"You must be Vincent." The man hummed as he stroked the well-groomed beard that covered most of his face "My name is Osmond, the headmaster here at the Tristain Academy of Magic."

Once more my body snapped at the hip, but this time all I could see were my toes. I could hear the headmaster chuckle slightly accompanied by the sound of a chair scraping along the floor.

"Arise, Mr. Vinder. I'm not one to have my ego stroked." He rested his frail hand on my shoulder as I nodded and stood upright. He smiled and returned to his desk. "Now, your letter read that you wish to enroll in our humble academy?"

"Yes, sir. I've heard great things of the Tristain Academy."

"I'm honored, truly." He bowed slightly, and then proceeded to sit behind his desk once more. "I've also noticed something quite odd. Vinder is not a noble name, is it?"

My stomach wrenched as my face went pale. I hesitated slightly as I muttered "No, sir. It's not."

His face turned from a smile to a stern expression "What makes you think you have the aptitude for magic?"

"When I was young, I was able to cast very simple spells and create small fires. I want to learn to hone these abilities and expand my repertoire."

Osmond leaned back, stroking his beard for a moment, before leaning forward with a small sigh.

"Very well. I wish to see what you can do. Do you require a wand, or did you bring your own?" I hesitated for a moment, my mind racing. I was an idiot not to think that I would need to cast some sort of spell to be admitted. I gulped back my fears, a lump steadily forming in my throat as I opened my mouth to respond:

"Sir, I need you to keep this a secret." I muttered as I took a step forward. He cocked his head, but then shrugged and nodded. I drew in a deep breath, and then released it in one large huff.

I closed my eyes, feeling warm energy coarse through my body and into my hands. I drew in another breath as I pressed my hands together and began muttering the short incantation I'd instinctively learned so many years ago:

"Ixen…" I could hear a small, but crystal clear hum, begin emanating from my palms as sparks began to leap between them. A half-second later, the sparks had lit a small flame in the space between my hands. I didn't need to open my eyes to know the look of terror on the headmaster's face. Finally, I pushed my hands forward, flames dancing from my palms as I shouted "Cha'sid!"

The once tiny flame burst forth into a cone before me, lighting up the room in bright reds, oranges, and yellows for a few seconds before dissipating into the air. I released the last of my breath and opened my eyes, expecting the worst. I saw no expression on Mr. Osmond's face other than sheer terror. He quickly composed himself, straightening his beard as he shifted in his chair.

"How were you able to do that without a wand?" He asked with curiosity mixed with the fear in his voice.

"I don't know. It just came to me one day." My eyes tracked to the floor as I slowly bowed, the bulge in my throat growing in unison with the welling tears "I'm sorry for wasting your time, sir." I turned around to leave the room before I'm stopped by Osmond's voice,

"Mr. Vinder." I halt only a few feet from the door "I will admit you into the Academy under a few altered conditions for such a unique case." My throat cleared, my tears disappeared, and my heart lifted as I spun back around to see Osmond reaching into his desk and retrieving a piece of parchment.

"Thank you so much, sir! I appreciate the opportunity. I won't let you down!"

The man's face showed no change as he began to scrawl a small list of rules:

"First, you are never to show what you have done here today, whether that means carrying a false wand or refusing to cast. No one shall know about your talents. If anyone finds out, you will be immediately expelled and escorted off the grounds by an instructor.

"Second, you will be under the tutelage of Mr. Colbert, the local expert on fire magic. He is a square-level mage and a very capable teacher. You will live with him, eat with him, and attend all of his classes. You are never to leave his supervision.

"Finally, you are to remain on academy grounds at all times including vacations and holidays unless you leave grounds with Mr. Colbert. The prior rules persist while you are off the grounds.

"All instructors will be made aware of your abilities to avoid mass pandemonium should anything go amiss with your powers."

My head bowed slightly, my eyes closed and my heart dropped once more. After a few moments of contemplation, I raised my head and opened my eyes. Osmond, unwavering, held the quill in outstretched hand with the parchment turned towards me. I clench my fists tight, my gut wrenching as my mind raced. Everything he said was too fluid, too rehearsed. He knew something that I didn't.

"Sir, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"What am I?"

The man sighed, putting the pen back into its inkwell and relaxing his shoulders.

"You're an anomaly, Mr. Vinder. Much like Pioneer Birmir who discovered this land, your magic isn't… natural." He muttered as he pushed himself up and proceeded to the window. As he continued to speak he stared out the window onto the courtyards below "I don't know what you are, but I know what your power can do. What sort of devastation it can cause if something was to go wrong."

"So I was right! You just want to contain me, not help me!" I shouted, anger writhing within me like a serpent in it's den

"I am trying to help you. Your powers are different from every other student in this school. Your powers are bred from pure emotion rather than incantations and channeling the knowledge of those before us." He turned to face me, his eyes filled with fury. The once stoic and controlled expression he once wore was replaced with one of anger and spite. I hesitated as the man broke eye contact only to glare at my hand. Confused, I glance down to see flames had engulfed my entire hand, their tendrils licking my skin as they worked their way up my arm.

"Do you see it now?" He hissed as he approached me "Your power is not to be controlled, simply directed or contained. By having you under this surveillance and containment, I am helping you. This is not just for the safety of any one person, but for the safety of everyone around you."

I could almost hear an audible splash as my heart plunged into my stomach. The once mighty fire that engulfed my arm was now nothing but a small flickering light in the palm of my hand. Osmond reached out and planted his hand on my shoulder once more. My eyes screwed shut at the headmaster's touch as he muttered:

"There was once a man much like you. He was different from everyone else. His powers were inherent rather than taught, and because of this he believed himself to be higher than other mages. His hubris turned out to be his undoing as he insulted a very powerful nobleman. The nobleman, outraged by this mage, demanded his wife. When the mage refused, the nobleman lashed out and tried to attack the mage. In a single moment, the mage ended the life of three people: The nobleman's corpse was strewn across the floor, his wife lay lifeless under the rubble that once made a wall, and his own life ended when he realized what his power was. His power was nothing but a curse, something that could not be controlled." My eyes slowly opened, vision blurred by the tears that swiftly found escape down my cheek. I looked up to Osmond to see his eyes filled with the same sorrow, his lips quavering as he released my shoulder.

"For the sake of everyone you love, your powers must be contained and cannot be allowed to consume you. If they do, the consequences could be dire." He retrieved the quill and contract from his desk and handed them both to me. "Do not make the same mistakes as the mage."

I nodded slightly, taking the quill and parchment from the man. I could almost feel my own soul sliding from within me, through my arm and out through the pen as I signed my name. I handed both back to Osmond, who morosely nodded, smiled and placed both back in their respective homes.

**Thank you so much for your support in this fanfiction! I'm hoping to upload every Friday, so new chapters will be up on every Saturday.**


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